Just Gettin' Started (A TF2 Fanfic)
by ArtistForever
Summary: Sniper and Fem Sniper are in the family way; but while called out on a payload mission, Sniper is forced to leave his wife behind. The Snipers are known for being loners, but Fem Sniper will soon have to call on her friends for a dire emergency.
1. Chapter 1

(**Author's Note:** _Before you read, a little bit of backstory:_

_This story is the product of a conversation between me and a good friend of mine – we'll call her "Allie". I'm a very new, yet very enthusiastic member of the TF2 fandom, while Allie has been a fan of it for a while. Recently, I came across the gender bends of the TF2 characters and their "official/unofficial" models and voice actresses. Being an avid fan of __good_ _gender bends in a franchise, I soon became a fan of the female classes as well. The "official" models are precisely what I picture female player models in TF2 would look like: not overly-sexualized if sexualized at all, the personalities are perfectly mirrored of their male counterparts, and the classes themselves are given unique traits that make them seem like individuals rather than replacements for the original characters. This is what I consider to be good gender bending._

_My favorite of these female classes happens to be the same as Allie's: the Fem Sniper. For reference, or for those who haven't seen the model considered to be "official" for this character, see this link:_ watch?v=NantwxFtrgY . _With that said, Allie and I were speaking a few days ago about the possibility of a shipping between Sniper and Fem Sniper. I usually don't favor pairings between characters and their gender bends; but in TF2's case, the gender bends are practically separate characters, so I leapt at the idea. We began acting stupid and I started joking about the premise of this story, but Allie began to think it could make a good fanfic. She's not exactly a writer, so she asked me if I would write it._

_Needless to say, I was reluctant. I only made up the idea as a joke, and besides, the only way a story like this can even remotely work is if the characters stay as in-character as possible. It's all speculation, but as long as they stay within the realms of realism, it's doable. As you might've guessed, I have a lot of respect for how well the characters of TF2 are written, and I was afraid I wouldn't do them justice because of the __very__ unlikely premise. So, I initially said no. Then…Allie gave me a twenty._

_So, yes this is technically a commission. That's pretty much the only reason I'm writing it. I'm very nervous as to how I presented the characters, because I've written only one other story like this and I personally think I butchered the characters in it. *Sigh* Well, Allie's a sucker for sappy stories like this anyway, so I hope she'll be happy with it._

_As for everyone else, thank you plenty for reading all of this. I just thought I'd let you know that the quality might not be stellar, and I'm aware the premise is rather sappy, but I damn well tried my hardest! Allie, I hope you and most others will enjoy it!_

_[P.S] I don't know how true this is, but I read somewhere on the internet that if Fem Sniper was added to the game, her voice actress would be __Ellen McLain – the voice of GLaDOS from 'Portal' as well as the wife of Sniper's voice actor. I'm pretty sure it's wrong, but that's why Sniper and Fem Sniper are portrayed as a married couple in this story. It just seemed suiting._

_[P.P.S] Just so no one asks, I'm inferring that the Sniper's first name is Rick. Don't kill me if you disagree, as it's not official. While we're on the subject, the Fem Sniper's first name will be Charlotte in this story…again, nothing official._)

**Chapter 1**

The arid desert sun beat down mercilessly, making the air quiver as its rays reflected off the red cliffs and beige sand of the landscape below. Badlands lived up to its name; just a bare valley of sand spread out for miles in all directions, not a sign of life to be seen. The only indication a human being had ever set foot on the barren wasteland was a thin dirt road winding its way through the sand dunes; and even so, the road only had one occupant.

The campervan's tires made the road cough up dust in its wake as it drove along its stretch. The heat barely made an impact on the moving metal trailer; its cooling system wasn't top-notch, but it worked well enough to keep the inside of the vehicle comfortable. At the wheel of his mobile home, Sniper kept his eyes on the approaching Thunder Mountains, watching closely for the entrance to Badwater Basin. It was another call to action; after less than a year from their last mission, Team BLU was being called together for another Payload drop. Not anything to fret over, Sniper rather enjoyed seeing his old mates again with every job they were assigned, but something still had him on the edge of uneasiness. It wasn't so much the fear of death; after almost a decade on the Team, he knew he had nothing to fear from the REDs.

Sniper turned the radio down, trying to prevent it from disturbing his passenger as he pulled off the road and headed towards a gap in the distant mountain range. Checking his rear-view mirrors every so often to ensure he wasn't being followed, Sniper arrived at the entrance to the familiar scorching canyon. Traveling along the inner perimeter of the gorge, the vehicle finally parked in the shade of an overhang. Several other vehicles were parked around the basin, indicating the presence of the other BLU Team members. A small battlement was visible amidst several boulders towards the center of the canyon, no doubt built by the Team's Engineers to house supplies for the upcoming battle. Somewhere past the shield of boulders, Team RED had rebuilt their base since BLU's last successful raid, and now it was time to destroy it again.

Sniper rose from his chair and parted the curtain that separated the driver and passenger seats from the camper. The simple cabin of the van contained little more than the basic necessities of survival: several cabinets filled with canned goods, a small fridge holding ice and cold drinks, and a countertop encompassing a propane-fueled stove. The cramped compartment was barely enough space for one person to live in, so the collapsible bed taking up the entire back half of the camper left even less space than that. Not to mention, there was more than one person present in the vehicle at that time.

Sniper couldn't help but smile at the figure asleep on the mattress. The dark blue blanket draped over her shoulders, her light brown ponytail covering her neck, and her prescription sunglasses sitting on the countertop next to her; the woman Sniper had made his wife slept soundly. As he entered the camper, Sniper thought it funny that the Administrator's choice to hire female counterparts for each class on Team BLU had once been met with such disgust.

Five years prior, the original classes of BLU, including the Sniper himself, had not been thrilled about receiving a partner of the opposite gender. Perhaps it was pride, or the simple misjudgment of what women could add to the Team, but the hiring of the first female mercenaries was a cause of distain for the original employees of BLU.

Upon meeting his counterpart, whose professional term was "Female Sniper", Sniper and the equally competitive markswoman instantly started a bitter rivalry. Each one always trying to best the other, the so-called partners eventually let their priorities slip as they started competing for best shot, leading to the worst losing streak BLU had ever seen. When the Administrator threatened both the Australians with their jobs, the rivals had no choice but to call a truce.

Strangely enough, once the competition ended, Sniper and "Fem Sniper" – as she started calling herself – started taking notice of each other's skillsets and abilities. Sniper saw that Fem Sniper was skilled with the huntsman at close range, but lacked accuracy with her rifle. Five years her senior in both age and career experience, Sniper began training Fem Sniper in the professional techniques of aiming through a scope. His partner improved, and as a sign of gratitude, she taught Sniper her own method of shooting an arrow into someone's eye. The rest was history.

Sniper quietly crept over to the double bed and sat on its edge. Fem Sniper didn't react to his presence, and light snoring was now able to be heard accompanying her rhythmic breathing. She had fallen asleep two hours earlier, after nearly a full week of restless nights. Sniper felt guilty for what he was about to do, but he felt the need to inform his wife where he was headed, lest she wake up and find herself alone. He gently shook her shoulder, prompting an agitated grumble from the sleeping beauty;

"What?"

"We're here, love." He explained. "I'm headin' out, should be back in an hour or two. No worries, just go back to sleep."

Sniper reached underneath the bed and retrieved his kukri before standing to tie the weapon's scabbard around his waist. Blinking her eyes open, Fem Sniper propped herself up on her arm and rested her head on her fist. She gave Sniper a disgruntled look.

"Hang on a tick," She queried. "You aren't leavin' without me, are ya?"

Sniper paused and gazed at his wife. "Are you serious?"

"I'm already out here, might as well do what I'm paid to." Fem Sniper uncovered herself from the sheets and carefully sat her bare feet on the floor.

Sniper was still trying to wrap his mind around his wife's intentions to join the day's battle. "You've lost your bloody mind if you think you're goin' anywhere near those battlements!" He asserted.

"Won't have ta." Fem Sniper retorted, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder and tightening it. "I could find a nice little notch up on the cliffs and blow out the brains of any RED bugger I see."

"You're stayin' in _here_." Sniper affirmed, pointing to the floor.

Fem Sniper became defensive. She glared at her husband. "I have a job to do, Rick! This may be the last one I ever have; can't you just let me enjoy it?"

"You won't be able to enjoy it if somethin' happens." Sniper secured the kukri around his waist.

"Well, I could say the same thing to you." Fem Sniper huffed. "I don't see _you_ hidin' away. You could just as easily get hurt."

"We have good Medics on our Team." Sniper knelt beside the bed and reached under it a second time. "I'll be fine."

Fem Sniper rolled her eyes. "And that means I _wouldn't_ be?"

"Why are we even arguin' about this?" Sniper withdrew his rifle from under the bed. He stood to his feet and glanced through the scope to ensure it was functional. "We've already arranged for you to retire; and we'll have a home soon, so I won't have to drag you two into a warzone anymore."

Fem Sniper sighed, running her hand down the curve of her distended stomach. "Well…" She said stubbornly. "I'm not retired yet."

A sigh escaped the Sniper as he began loading his gun. "You're impossible ta live with, Charlotte." He joked teasingly. "I hope the ankle biter doesn't have his mum's stubbornness."

Fem Sniper couldn't help but chuckle. "Or his dad's bossiness."

The couple shared a laugh, lightening the mood. Sniper set his rifle beside the side door of the cabin and leaned in to kiss his wife.

"Yeah, I know I'm a prick." He said. "But ya know why I have ta be."

A corner of Fem Sniper's lips turned up as her husband's hand came to rest over her midsection. "I know."

"Right." Sniper kissed Fem Sniper's forehead and reached for his gun. "Stay safe, love. I'll be back."

Fem Sniper grinned and waved goodbye as her husband left the campervan through the side door, locking it shut behind him. Left all alone in the home on wheels, she sighed, not knowing what she was going to do with herself for two hours in the cramped cabin.

"Guess I could grab a bite." She said to herself.

Bracing her hands on the countertop, Fem Sniper pulled herself from the bed. A quick examination of the cabinets led to the discovery of a can of cucumber soup. Seeing as how they didn't own a can opener, Fem Sniper retrieved the tiny switchblade next to the stove and stabbed it fiercely into the top of the tin. Peeling back the lid with the blade, Fem Sniper contented herself to drink the meal directly from the can.

She had halfway downed the entire tin, when the sound of a vehicle parking outside the campervan caught her attention.

"Who in the hell?" Fem Sniper muttered to herself, peering out the small window in the side of the van.

Any worry the Fem Sniper might've had were put to ease, and instead replaced with excitement as a rusty old truck pulled up and parked not twelve feet from the van. A sturdy woman swung out of the driver's seat, dressed in dingy overalls and her curly red hair pulled up under a yellow and red, polka-dotted bandana. Fem Sniper recognized her instantly; she was referred to as the "Female Engineer" or "Femgie" as the others playfully called her. She'd been one of the alternate mercenaries hired the same time Fem Sniper had been. Both had been raised in the backcountry of their home nations, so the two had been notable friends ever since they met.

Seeing the Texan emerge from her truck, Fem Sniper left her meal sitting on the counter. She quickly unlocked the van's side door and poked her head outside.

"Hey there, booksmarts!" She taunted from afar.

Femgie turned around just as she was retrieving heavy-looking crates of supplies out of the bed of her car. She laughed out loud upon seeing her old friend, and pulled her tinted goggles off her eyes and secured them on her head.

"Hey there, sugar!" Femgie waved. "How you been since last we met? Ever'thang alright between you an' Snipes? Not to be too personal, but I reckon y'all had a bit of a tiff last time we was all together."

"Ah, no worries." Fem Sniper snickered. "We've been through worse. 'Sides, we've been busy lately."

"Oh?" Femgie teased unashamedly. "Busy how?"

Fem Sniper grinned and opened the door, stepping outside into the dry, heated air. "You tell me."

Femgie's blue painted nails covered her mouth in surprise. "Oh mah God…" She sounded chocked on her emotions, but her eyes indicated she was smiling. She hurried to stand beside her friend, wrapping her strong arms around the Female Sniper's neck. "Honey, I'm so happy for you!" She smiled. "Why didn't y'all tell me?"

"We're on the road a lot, mate." Fem Sniper returned her friend's embrace as best she could. "We sometimes go for miles between a payphone."

Femgie released her rasp and took a few steps back to take in her friend's glowing appearance. "Lordy," She chuckled despite herself. "When on earth did y'all find out?"

"Really, we didn't figure it out for a while." Fem Sniper admitted with a sheepish shrug. "But…our first clue might've been the first time we had to pull over so I could laugh color behind a bush."

Femgie slapped her knee. "Well shoot, hun, you don't look like you should be prancin' around here. You have a little 'un to think of now."

"It's apples, mate." Fem Sniper assured her friend. "I'm just stayin' here until we can hit the road again."

"Good to know." Femgie patted her friend on the shoulder before picking up the wooden crates. "Nice to see ya again, 'sug. You stay safe now."

"I'll be fine!" Fem Sniper asserted with a smile before ducking back inside the cabin, watching her old friend head towards the battlements in the distance, where their numerous other Teammates were sure to be waiting for her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Stretch, you ol' dog!" Femgie cackled as she kicked open the battlement door.

Having been focused on cleaning the lens of his scope, Sniper startled at the sound of his nickname. His eyes traveled from the grinning woman in the doorway to several other members of BLU Team, who were now mostly staring in the marksman's direction. They were just as confused by the Female Engineer's comment as he was.

"Uh…come again?" Sniper's eyebrow raised.

Femgie dropped her armful of crates against the wall and dusted off her hands. "Don't play coy." She smirked. "When were y'all plannin' on tellin' us you and the missus were expectin'?"

Every eye in the room turned to look at Sniper. A small twinge of embarrassment touched him, but he felt more pride than anything else. Causally, he shrugged. "Ah, ya got us, mate."

"V'ell then," Spy said, slipping a cigarette from his disguise kit. "Allow me to be the first to offer congratulations to the happy couple."

"So do'es dis mean our sharpshoo'er's tradin' in his gun for a crib?" Demoman asked from his seat on the bench. He swished the amber contents of his half-empty bottle, a slightly blitzed haze in his eyes.

"'Course not." Sniper stated bluntly, almost insulted at the idea of an early retirement. "I'll still be around. Might be a little late to the party sometimes, but hey." He chuckled. "Now the wife, she won't be around as much. Bringin' a kid on a battlefield ain't the wisest of choices."

The Engineer eyed the swaying Demoman from behind his welding goggles. "Drunk on a battlefield ain't a wise choice, neither." He warned the Scotsman.

The mechanic cringed as an aluminum bat collided with his hardhat, knocking it over his eyes.

"Quit bein' such a stiff, hardhat!" A Boston accent cackled, its owner flinging the bat over his shoulder. "We ain't got nutin' to worry 'bout from those RED losers. We've kicked their asses multiple times!"

Just then, an authoritative voice over the intercom rang through the desert gully: "Mission begins in thirty seconds."

"Alright, you lilly-livered pansies!" The Soldier took his usual, self-appointed charge. "On your feet and into position! On the double!"

A flurry of activity followed. As the other classes rushed to prepare themselves for the coming battle, Femgie readied herself by equipping her toolbox for a sentry gun. The oversized case was no sooner in her hands, than a sudden force from behind sent it hurdling towards the ground, spilling noisy bits of metal from under its lid. The door that knocked Femgie off her feet had been kicked open by a scrawny woman no less than twenty, and every other female class in the room groaned at her arrival.

"Yo, was'sup? Did'ja guys forget 'bout me?" The Femscout asked, slinging her bat around like an oversized baton.

"You're late." Femgie grumbled as she hastily reorganized her toolbox.

"Eh, what can I say? I'm a busy girl." Femscout shrugged smugly.

Femgie stood, bearing the weight of her workload, and frowned at the cocky young woman. She was just as loud-mouthed as her male equivalent, yet to the female classes of the Team she seemed twice as obnoxious. Perhaps females just had a special way of getting on each other's nerves. "Just get to where y'all need to go."

"Sure thing, sister." Femscout winked and peppery marched toward the closed exit gates, where her teammates were all eagerly waiting to be released.

Femgie sighed, trying letting go of her exasperation. "Jus' pay her no mind." She muttered to herself as she too joined the group.

The intercom's echoing presence reverberated a second time, and the Administrator's voice began counting down the final seconds before the job they'd all been sent there to do: "Five…four…three…two…one…"

Somewhere in the distance, the shrill whine of a siren sounded. The metal grates serving as the fourth wall of the battlements lowered, and the Team let out their battle cries as they charged into the fray.

* * *

The sound of the siren filled Badwater Basin like a tide, spilling over into its outermost regions. The shrill sound waves washed over the campervan, alerting its occupant to the battle that had just started. Fem Sniper listened with displeasure as distant sounds of gunfire began erupting as the siren faded away.

"Lucky bastards." She murmured under her breath, scraping the last bits of soup from the tin with her index finger.

Fem Sniper couldn't help but imagine herself out there with the others, giving those REDs just one more good thrashing before having to leave the job. The markswoman shook her head to clear it. She knew better than that…but still…the call of the wild was a hard voice for her to ignore. Fem Sniper peeked out the window, the battlements still barely visible in the distance. It hadn't even been half an hour since Sniper had left, and already the day was promising to be long.

The soup can completely depleted of its contents, Fem Sniper tossed it in the bin and pulled the curtain aside. She sat in the passenger seat and fiddled with the dials on the radio, hoping to find something interesting to listen to. The radio sputtered with static as the soon-to-be ex-mercenary toyed with it, until locating a slow jazz station that was to her liking. She cranked the volume up about as loud as the device would allow, trying her hardest to drown out the outlying sounds of battle. Unfortunately, it didn't help much. With a frustrated sigh, Fem Sniper decided the only sure method of distracting herself was to fall back asleep.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Fem Sniper took the opportunity to nod off. Having spent what little energy she had, it didn't take long for her to go under. The continuation of her afternoon nap didn't last long. Fem Sniper's eyes opened again and immediately looked at her watch. She was both frustrated and relieved that only fifteen minutes had passed. She thought she had been asleep much longer, and in her sudden awakening she had become confused that the early afternoon sun was still burning up the sky.

It was no mystery to her why she had awoken so soon; it was the same reason she hadn't had a restful sleep in several days. Fem Sniper dug her fingertips into her lower back, trying to massage the pain away. She'd been having back pains on-and-off for the past month, but they never got any easier. Often they lasted half the day or night, and sometimes got so bad they would have her bedridden. So, needless to say, it was a pleasant surprise when the ache left her after only a minute or so.

"Well, that was odd." Fem Sniper thought. She stretched her arms and rolled her shoulders to rid them of the stiffness of sleeping in a car seat. "At least I don't have to deal with that today."

Growing bored with the jazz station, Fem Sniper turned the dial. For the next hour, she entertained herself with anything she could locate on the airwaves: country music, rock music, radio shows, even weather reports. As she listened, she daydreamed about many different subjects, letting her mind roam freely to memories and personal thoughts as she gazed out the windshield. Suddenly all her focus went to a returning soreness in her back.

"Are you kiddin' me?" Fem Sniper muttered aloud as she tried to rub the pain away. Two backaches in one day was not something she was used to.

After more than a minute, Fem Sniper surrendered to the notion that the pain wasn't going away this time. In silent defeat, she left the passenger seat, knowing from past experiences that standing upright could help with the ache. Leaving the radio tuned to the right station, Fem Sniper pulled the curtain aside and leaned with her back against the wall of the camper; this was a remedy for her discomfort she had discovered several weeks ago. Fem Sniper was prepared to stand there for a while, as she often had to, but the dull throb in her lower back suddenly began to fade away on its own.

"Alright," Fem Sniper thought, a very mild concern accumulating in her chest. "This is gettin' strange." She glanced out the window, placing a hand attentively over her midsection. "Should I get Rick?"

Somewhere over the blaring radio, the sounds of gunfire could still be heard. Fem Sniper bit her lip in thought.

"There's nothin' happenin'." She told herself, this time out loud. Hearing her own voice say these things helped to chase away her doubts. "I feel fine. If anythin' _is_ gonna happen, it won't happen for a while. I'll be alright."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The teleporter's engine whirred, spouting out an odd blue light as the molecules of the Spy were reassembled on the hovering platform.

"Much appreciated, my friend." The masked man hastily thanked the female engineer as he cloaked himself and ran off, leaving only the faint sound of his footsteps to indicate his presence.

Femgie didn't have the time to answer him; her level-three sentry required her constant attention as it mowed down several REDs as they rounded the corner and into its sight. The hefty woman removed casing after casing of ammo from the dispenser she had set up nearby, continuously reloading the tripod machine gun to defend the bomb cart against the onslaught of enemies.

The sudden blast of a Soldier's rocket sent the Texan flying several feet back as it exploded on impact with her sentry. The machine began to smoke and sputter from the damage of the impact, alerting its creator to its distress with a low-pitched alarm. Femgie felt the sting of a gash in her arm caused by shrapnel, but she diligently retrieved her wrench from the dirt and immediately ducked behind her machines, feeling her dispenser mend her wounds as she quickly began repairing the sentry.

"C'mon, don't give out on me now!" Femgie clenched her teeth as her large hands worked nimbly with the machinery.

Finally, with one last twist of her wrench, the sentry sprang to life again and shot down the remaining last RED Team members in its path. Femgie wiped her sweaty brow with her sleeve as the cart began screeching backwards down the track. She didn't have much time to relax, and she knew it. The rest of the RED Team would be at the front lines soon enough, and her sentry was in desperate need of more ammunition. Femgie turned to her dispenser for what she needed, but frowned when she saw that the machine had gone dead, completely drained of everything it held.

"Damn it!" The woman swore loudly, pounding her first into her knee. She snatched the two-way radio from her tool belt and extended its antenna, adjusting the nobs to the right frequency. "Come in, Engie." She said into the speakers. "'Ya there, pardner?"

The distorted voice of the Engineer came through the radio. "Yes ma'am."

"Are y'all havin' trouble with your ammo over there?" Femgie asked, keeping an eye out for approaching enemies as she spoke. "My dispensers plumb outta bullets and I ain't seein' any more supply crates."

"'Fraid I can't help 'ya." The voice over the radio replied. "I'm in the same boat y'all are."

"Right…" Femgie sighed in exasperation. "I didn't wanna have to do this, but I'll have to get to mah truck for resupply. Y'all hold out, I'll be back."

Femgie returned the radio to her belt and removed her oil-stained orange gloves, stuffing them through her belt loops. She cautiously looked about, reluctant to leave her precious buildings out in the open for anyone to destroy. Suddenly, the teleporter began to whir. In a flash of light, the Femscout leaped from the platform, scattergun at the ready.

"Thanks, sister." The young woman said as her agile legs swiftly passed the female engineer by.

Just before the careless young Bostonian escaped out of arms reach, Femgie snatched her by the collar. Femscout came to a choking halt as her airways momentarily were pinched off.

"Yo, what the hell is your problem?!" Femscout snapped at her older Teammate, rubbing her sore neck. "What, are ya tryin' ta kill me or somthin'?!"

"You'll have ta do." Femgie said flatly, dropping Femscout behind her buildings. She pointed to each of them and then back to Femscout. "Watch 'em."

"What the hell, are you serious?!" Femscout was not pleased with her new assignment. "I ain't doin' this crap!"

"You'll watch 'em 'til I come back, or I'll beat the tar outta your scrawny ass." Femgie glared at her cocky Teammate, unafraid to set her straight if need be. "How's that grab 'ya, string bean?"

Femscout slapped her forehead and growled loudly. "Un-frickin'-believable!" She whined.

"Oh, hush." Femgie patted the radio at her side as she began backing away quickly. "If I need 'ya, I'll call 'ya on your headset. Same goes if you need me."

Femscout crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. "Whateva'."

Femgie pointed two of her fingers at her eyes, then turned them towards Femscout as she turned and began sprinting back towards the battlements.

* * *

The sudden stillness of the basin made Femgie's ears ring after being exposed to so many deafening sounds. The mechanic spotted her truck in the wavering distance, gleaming in the afternoon sun. For a second, Femgie worried that the desert heat would ignite the ammunition in the bed of her truck, but of course that would be silly. Reaching into her vehicle and throwing off a canvas tarp she used to cover her sensitive cargo, Femgie was relieved to see two large crates of bullets and scrap metal at her disposal.

"Bingo." She grinned as she began lifting one of the boxes.

Suddenly, she was halted by a sound. It was soft, but it wasn't in the distance. Turning around slowly, she determined that it was coming from the Mundy's campervan beside her truck. It would've been easy enough to ignore and get back to business, if it didn't sound distinctly like someone quietly keening in pain.

Dropping the crate with a loud _thud_, Femgie apprehensively knocked on the camper door. She noticed the sound had stopped the second her bare knuckles made contact with the door.

"Sugar?" Femgie called for the friend she knew was inside. "You okay in there?"

No sounds of movement came from inside, but a solitary voice asked: "Who's this?"

"It's me, darlin'." Femgie answered. "I jus' wanna check on 'ya."

The van was quiet for a minute, then the door slowly began to creak open. Thinking she was being welcome inside, Femgie let out a yelp of surprise when a hand reached out and nicked her arm with an arrow.

"Lordy, girl!" Femgie grabbed her lightly bleeding cut. "What in the hell's gotten into you?"

Fem Sniper opened the door a little wider, observing that the person standing before her was still her friend. "Sorry mate," She said without much regret in her tone. She twiddled the huntsman arrow between her fingers. "Force 'a habit. Gotta spy-check any time there's a fight."

"Smart move, I suppose." Femgie chuckled, noticing that her cut had already stopped bleeding. "Trust me, I've been through much worse today." The two women shared a short laugh before Femgie continued her inquiry. "By the way, 'hun? Was that y'all I heard making a ruckus is here? It sounded like you was hurt."

"No worries." Fem Sniper shrugged, pressing her hands into the small of her back. "Just been havin' back pains all day long. Ah, you know how it is."

"Just back aches?" Femgie raised an eyebrow.

Fem Sniper nodded and waved her hand, as if trying to brush the subject away.

"M'kay," Femgie said, looking suspicious. "I guess I'll see 'ya later."

Fem Sniper smiled and nodded as she shut the camper door. Femgie shrugged off the incident and went back to her work. Carefully, she raised one crate and set it beside her back wheels, eventually dropping the second one on top of it. Stooping down to lift both crates of supplies at once to avoid making a second trip, Femgie was startled by a strangled grunt from behind her. Noticeably louder than the first time, Femgie didn't waste any time investigating what was wrong…she just knew something was wrong.

She tried the door handle without bothering to knock, and to her convenience it was unlocked. "'Sug?" She asked as she stepped inside the tiny camper.

Fem Sniper had her back to her friend, her hands gripping the edges of the countertop next to the stove. Femgie was by her side in an instant.

"What's wrong, 'hun?" She asked, looking into the face of the taller woman.

Fem Sniper didn't answer. Her body was tense and her eyes remained focused on the ground, small groans periodically escaping her clenched teeth.

"You gotta tell me what's wrong." Femgie patted her friend's shoulder, but it didn't get a response.

The female engineer's eyes widened in worry when Fem Sniper absentmindedly ran a hand across the lower curve of her stomach. Seconds later, Fem Sniper's body relaxed.

"I thought you said you was only havin' back pains." Femgie said, keeping her hand on her unmoving friend's shoulder.

"I was," Fem Sniper said, sounding oddly winded. "But not that time."

Femgie hesitated her next question, almost worried of the answer. "'Hun, how far along are you?"

"Far enough." Fem Sniper mumbled.

"How are 'ya feelin'?"

"I guess ya could say I'm feelin' worse than before." Fem Sniper said, glancing at her watch. "That one wasn't very long after the last."

"How long?"

"Ten minutes."

Femgie retrieved her radio and extended the antenna. "I'm callin' for a Medic."

"Don't." Fem Sniper said. "It's nothin' all that serious. The Team needs 'em more than m-." Fem Sniper tensed again when she suddenly felt a distinct trickle of fluid. "Ah, bloody hell!" She slammed her first down on the counter in anger.

Femgie switched on the radio, but not before giving Fem Sniper a look of 'I told you so'. "You there, Femscout?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm here." Femscout's voice came through the speakers. "Listen, sister…about your little doodads…"

"Listen, string bean," Femgie resisted the urge to find out what was going to be at the end of that sentence. "We have a bit of an emergency out here. Find a Medic and bring 'em to the battlements, I'll meet y'all there."

"Um…kay? What's the Medic for-?"

"Jus' do it."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

( **Author's Note** ): ***SPOILORS* So, recently in the official TF2 comic "Blood in the Water" it was revealed that Sniper isn't Australian at all…but rather, a New Zealander. Well…I can safely say I didn't expect that, but the comic is still amazing! I highly recommend every TF2 player/fan should read it!** **Anyway, seeing as how this commission fic is set in an alternate version of the Gravel Wars, at this point in time, Sniper still thinks he's Australian; so that's what he and Fem Sniper will be referred to as. Just thought I'd point that out.**

** Sorry for the late update, I spent a lot of time working on 'Gutes Tun' and Allie wanted to help me plan out the rest of this. Allie, since you're reading this: you didn't pay me enough to work with you. XD So, again, sorry everyone and I hope you enjoy the rest of this. I'm truly trying my best with this so…please bear with me.**

**[P.S] As far as I know, respawn is not an actual thing for the Mercenaries outside of gameplay, so that's why death is treated like it's permanent here.)**

Femgie shielded her eyes from the sun and peered into the battlements. She didn't detect any movement in the small room whatsoever through the shimmering ripples of the super-heated air. She had chosen to keep her distance from the entrance to the battlefield, not wanting to risk being struck with any stray bullets when her teammates rushed in to resupply. It had been twenty minutes since she had radioed Femscout for a Medic, and she hadn't heard from her since.

Biting her lower lip, Femgie glanced over her shoulder at the campervan, still sitting shaded beneath the overhang. She didn't like the idea of Fem Sniper left in there all alone while she waited for their Teammate, especially since it had already taken the Bostonian so long to get there. It was no surprise to the Texan that Femscout seemed to be taking her own sweet time to show up; she wasn't exactly the most reliable member of BLU Team.

The ground-shaking vibrations of combat hadn't ceased in the slightest, the battle still raging inside the basin. Just as Femgie was beginning to wonder if her Teammate had forgotten her task amongst the chaos of war, the battlement doors slid open and in sprinted the blue-clad blur of the Femscout, ducking under the missile of a rocket launcher. Close behind her scampered the Team's Medic, tightly clutching his syringe gun as he followed Femscout into the safe haven of the resupply room. The grates sealed as the employees of Builders League United ran inside them, the missile exploding on contact with the barrier.

Femscout slumped into one of the chairs lining the wall. With a satisfied smirk she looked over her bat, covered in small spots of blood and bits of flesh, before tossing the weapon carelessly into the corner. Looking very satisfied with herself, she rested her bandaged hands behind her head as Femgie appeared in the open doorway.

"Here ya go." Femscout said, nodding towards Medic. "Got 'em for ya."

"Sure took 'ya long enough." Femgie retorted crossly to the younger woman as she approached the Medic. "C'mon, Doc, you're needed here."

"I zhink I am needed more out _zhere_ zhan I am in_ here_." Medic did not look happy about being forcibly taken from his duties on the field under the pretense of an 'emergency'. The word meant nothing to him; every injury he ever treated could be classified as an emergency.

"Not now 'ya ain't." Femgie grabbed the former doctor by his collar and began pulling him outside.

"I beg you're pardon!" The Medic resisted, pulling rather frantically away from Femgie.

Femscout chuckled out loud at the scene in front of her, but Femgie was staring intensely at her male Teammate. Medic took a few steps away from the broadly built woman, getting as close to the grates as he could without opening them.

"Is zhere any reason at all _zhy_ I shouldn't return to my duties?" Medic asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah…" Like something out of a true Western film, Femgie drew her pistol from her tool belt and aimed it at Medic. "This."

With a single shot and a quick yellow flash of igniting gunpowder, the Medic fell lifeless to the ground, his blue overcoat dissolving into a red suit before he even hit the floor. Femgie holstered her weapon, first glaring down at the body of RED Team's Spy at her feet, then turning her enraged gaze to Femscout. The woman who was laughing a moment ago was now left staring, mouth agape, at what had just occurred. When her eyes made contact with those of her Teammate, she gulped.

"What in the _hell_?!" Femgie exclaimed.

"It wasn't _my_ fault!" Femscout cried, frantically gesturing to herself.

"You're tellin' me 'ya _weren't_ the idiot who forgot to spy-check before bringing him into our base?!" Femgie was furious.

"Well…" Femscout was refusing to admit the guilt of her potentially deadly mistake. "He didn't kill me at first sight so…ya know…"

Femgie ran her palm down her face and sighed heavily. "Lordy, child…"

Hundreds of thoughts ran through the female engineer's mind at once. Fem Sniper needed a Medic, they didn't have one at the moment. It was too much of a risk to go back out to retrieve one of the true medics; and come to think of it, removing one of the medics could put the entire Team at risk. Femgie's anger at Femscout waned a little; maybe it wasn't so bad that the Medic had turned out to be a spy. Still, her mistake was inexcusable, but Femgie had other issues on her mind at the moment.

"Ya want me to go out and find one of the real docs?" Femscout asked, retrieving her bat from the corner and starting a quick dash for the doors.

"Nope." Femgie seized Femscout by the collar as she passed by.

"Gah!" Femscout came to her second chocking halt that afternoon. "Geez, ya gonna keep doin' that?" She rubbed her neck. "And why not?"

"'Cause you're comin' with me." Femgie pulled Femscout outside so quick, she dropped her bat.

"What?" Femscout shook her head. "Are you nuts? I got a job to do, sister!"

"You're right about somethin', string bean." Femgie almost couldn't help but laugh. "I'll be keepin' 'ya around for a while. Might need a…second pair of hands, just in case."

Femscout gave her Teammate an odd look. "What the hell are ya talkin' about?"

"Oh, right." Femgie said flatly as she lead (or rather, dragged) Femscout to the door of the campervan. "Y'all weren't there when Snipes announced it. Now go on, git."

She swung Femscout around and made her open the door for herself. As soon as the two of them were inside, Femgie subtly closed and locked the door behind them.

"Whoa, hey," Femscout chuckled when she saw the occupant of the mobile home. "Since when did you get knocked up?" It was a remark that earned her a slap on the back of the head from Femgie.

Fem Sniper, seated on the bed with her head resting on the wall, opened one eye and glared at the loudmouth fleet foot. "Piss off." She snarled.

"Lil' Missy here forgot to spy-check the Medic." Femgie nudged Femscout's arm. "So, we don't have one right now."

"You're jokin', right mate?" Fem Sniper raised an eyebrow.

"Not in the slightest." Femgie sighed. "So, what we're gonna have to do is sit around and wait for the mission to end so we can find one."

Fem Sniper opened both eyes to glare at Femscout. "And _she_ has to be here because…?"

"'Cause we're gonna need someone fast to run out and find 'em when we need to." Femgie sat down, crossed-legged on the floor. "No tellin' how long that's gonna take."

"Okay, I'm lost." Femscout adjusted her cap and put a hand on her hip. "What's goin' on here?"

As if on cue, an uncomfortable groan escaped Fem Sniper, and her body became noticeably tenser.

"That's what's goin' on." Femgie said simply.

Femgie saw the look of realization wash over Femscout.

"Aw hell no, I ain't doin' this crap!" Femscout said, turning to the door. Unfortunately for her, Femgie was sitting in front of it; no doubt a calculated move to thwart her escape plans.

"Yeah, that's what I thought you'd say, but you ain't got a choice in the matter." Femgie grinned. "Now sit down and hush."

Defeated, Femscout crossed her arms and obeyed, outing a little as she joined Femgie on the floor. Fem Sniper didn't speak for about a solid minute, before relaxing again. She let out a long exhale of breath as she rested her head against the wall again.

"How long before that one?" Femgie asked.

Fem Sniper glanced at her watch again. "Eight minutes." She said.

"Then we still got plenty of time."

Femscout nervously bounced her leg. "Ya know, the Administrator ain't gonna like this. What, with me leavin' the fightin' and stuff."

"With how much she pays us, I doubt she'd let anyone go over somethin' like this." Femgie said.

"I somehow find that very doubtful." Femscout rolled her eyes at the female engineer. "'Sides, what if the Team loses 'cause I ain't there?"

Femgie and Fem Sniper both laughed.

"Trust me, sheela." Fem Sniper snickered. "You're not as important as 'ya think 'ya are."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Author's Note:**** (Sorry to have kept everyone waiting…anyone whose reading this anyways. I've been delayed with schoolwork and, sorry for not giving you a head's-up, but I've been dedicating a lot of my spare time to completing a novel of mine. No, I don't just write fanfiction, you sillies. I only do this for simple fun and to improve my writing skills as a whole.**

**I haven't stayed in much contact with Allie since she's away at university, but I'm enjoying writing this so I'll continue it based on the vague outline she gave me. I would love to hear feedback from you guys, and I'm open to suggestions for more TF2 fanfics in the near future. Happy reading!)**

"Where the hell is our Femscout?!" Soldier hollered to his fellow BLUs.

The Team was in a bit of a predicament. RED Team had retaliated much stronger than they had anticipated, forcing the offensive classes to fall back from the payload. The Engineer had tried to build a sentry close to the cart to ward off any REDs, but each time he tried, the sentry was destroyed before it was even built. Engineer joined his teammates among the storage units behind the fortress walls, the last of his metal reserves laying scattered on the dusty ground outside.

"That's it, fellas." The Engineer panted, removing his hardhat to wipe his brow. "That's the last of mah reserves. We're plumb outta luck until Femgie gets back with more supplies."

"Forget about the metal!" The Female Soldier shoved her way to the front of the crowd. "What we need is more offense! We're missing Femscout, and I'll bet she's gone AWOL, the little fruit basket!"

"Before anyone loses their mind," The FemSpy uncloaked beside the crowd, her heavily tinted sunglasses reflecting the glaring dessert sunlight. "I believe, ladies and gentlemen, that what we need is a better strategy." The Frenchwoman took a drag from her cigarette. "Surely we mercenaries are resourceful enough to work around the absence of two Team members, no?"

"Aye." Demoman, much more sober since the start of the battle, agreed. "Anyone got any ideas for not gettin' slaughtered out there?"

A loud gunshot cracked the momentarily still air, accompanied by the anguished death cry of a RED Scout from beyond the walls. BLU Team looked above them to see Sniper, crouched behind an air vent, eye in his scope and (as usual) paying little heed to what his Team mates were discussing. With pinpoint accuracy, the assassin picked off enemy after enemy before fleeing from his hiding place as a grenade was launched his way. Rifle in hand, the Australian man ran past his group, motioning for them to high-tail it to the frontlines.

"Get to the cart, 'ya bloody idiots!" He called over his shoulder as he left in search of a new vantage point.

"I agree with the bushman." Spy stated, adjusting his tie. "I suggest we go now while we have the chance."

Sniper listened from a distance as his Team uttered their battle cries, charging with cautious confidence onto the battlefield once more. The familiar sounds of gunfire and explosions once again filled the air. Always wary of the frontlines, Sniper hung back from the action to wait most of it out. He knew he'd done his job for the time being; he'd blown open the skulls of most of the RED bastards surrounding their payload, all he had to do now was wait for another opportunity to get a clear shot in. A swarming mass of his Team mates and enemies, needless to say, was not a very wise place to aim.

As he tucked himself away behind a corner, back pressed against the wall to avoid an ambush from any stupid spies, the Sniper's thoughts inadvertently turned to his wife back in their mobile home. He didn't want to admit it, but there was a very real chance that the Team could lose, resulting in the BLUs being forced out of the REDs' territory…or worse. Subconsciously he was grateful Charlotte was retiring, although he would certainly miss having her by his side in the snipers' roost during battle.

As for their child, Sniper hardly had any idea how he was going to raise it. Fem Sniper wasn't much different; spending long periods of time alone most of your life doesn't exactly qualify you to be parent of the year. Regardless, both future parents had agreed a more permanent settlement would be a better environment for a newborn. Mr. Mundy had intentions of purchasing a small abode within the state; nothing fancy, just a place for his wife and child to stay until the unforeseen day when the Gravel Wars would finally end.

Sniper understood this meant he would be away from them most of the year, taking his traditional campervan out to wherever the Teams were stationed for whatever mission they were assigned. That didn't leave Sniper much time to see his son or daughter grow up; so, he had every intention to fill what few months out of the year he had with them to be full of as many meaningful moments as possible.

If the child ever showed skill or interest, marksmen training would begin as soon as the child was able to throw a rock. Sniper hoped, more than anything, that his son or daughter wouldn't take much after his parents and their distaste for assassins for hire. In Sniper's opinion, assassination was a much better career aspiration than being a rancher.

The sharpshooter's thoughts were interrupted by the Administrator's voice over the intercom: "Mission ends in sixty seconds."

Sniper's blood ran cold as he glanced quickly around the corner and saw that his Team had barely made any advancements with pushing the cart down the track. Survival mode kicking in, Sniper aimed his rifle into the fray…and shot. A resounding scream confirmed his bullet had found its target.

* * *

Fem Sniper released a strangled cry of agony into the pillow she was clutching to her chest. She'd been able to keep most of her composure earlier that day, but now everything below her ribcage ached with each contraction. Fem Sniper had been shot at, burned, stabbed, and everything in between for several years straight…but nothing she'd gone through had prepared her for the torture she experienced when this one – the worst contraction yet – peaked.

"Oh, God!" Fem Sniper curled tighter in on herself, the pillow muffling her voice as she sank her fingers into it. She had switched to lying sideways on the bed moments before, trying to relieve some of the pain. It hadn't worked.

"I know, sugar. I know it hurts." Femgie said soothingly, beginning a deep massage into her friend's lower back as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Don't touch me!" Fem Sniper hissed at the female engineer's touch; she'd been growing more and more irritable as her pain and discomfort increased. Her Team mate immediately withdrew from her.

Femscout remained where she was on the floor of the mobile home, immobile since she first sat down and gradually getting paler by the minute. She clearly wanted to be anywhere but in that room.

The contraction finally ended and Fem Sniper lifted her face from the pillow to pant for air. Her brow was beginning to show signs of heavy perspiration. "Where's Rick?" Were the first words to pass her lips.

"He'll be here soon, 'sug." Femgie gave a reassuring smile. "It shouldn't be too much longer."

"If they haven't won by now," Fem Sniper was starting to sound concerned. "What if-."

"Everything's alright, hun." Femgie used her sleeve to dab her friend's forehead. "Everything's-."

An explosion large enough to quake the campervan emanated from the direction of the battlefield. The three women sighed with relief, knowing a sound of that magnitude could only come from their payload destroying a portion of the RED's base. A quick peek out the window by Femgie confirmed this.

"See?" She grinned at Fem Sniper before turning to Femscout. "You, beanpole." She snapped the fingers of her ungloved hand and pointed her thumb at the door. "Ya know what ta do."

She didn't have to tell Femscout twice; the agile young Bostonian was up and out the door in a literal second.

"And make sure it ain't a _Spy_ this time!" Femgie called after her before closing the agape door once more.


End file.
